R. Scott McCoy

answers the Usual Questions

Author R. Scott McCoy also works as an IT Security Executive, and in the reserves was an Interrogator/Russian Linguist and a Psychological Operations Specialist.

Has your interaction with fans, for example, at conventions, affected your work?

Not directly. I wasn't prepared for the detailed questions about my first novel and while more experienced writers may be used to the feeling, it felt odd to have someone more clearly remember details of a book I had written. My interaction with fans has mostly altered how I prepare for a convention so I don't look stupid when asked about my work.

Is there any particular incident (a letter, a meeting, a comment that stands out?

A woman asked me about a detail in Feast. She was speculating about the scene where I thought I had left strong hints as to what was going on, but after hearing her speculation, I was no longer sure. It was a hook for the next book in the series and I had been worried that I had been too overt. A man at another con asked me about a minor character in Feast and why I had her sleep with the main character so quickly. He was basically saying that he thought she was a "good" girl and I had treated her like a slut. It never occurred to me that anyone would see her that way and I'd had experiences with women in the past that were very similar and never thought ill of the women or myself. But that is the problem with fiction. It has to make sense to every reader or it troubles them and each of our realities are different.

Do you have a favourite author or book (or writer or film or series) that has influenced you or that you return to?

Robert McCammon. I read most genres and I read about thirty books a year, but with McCammon, I keep going back to his older works and pounce on anything new he comes up with. His novel Boy's life made me want to not just write, but to some day write a passage that moved others as Boy's life had moved me.

Who is the person you would most like to be trapped in a lift with? or a spaceship?

My wife. It's hard to get enough private time as parents, and if we were trapped, we could spend time together and not feel guilty about excluding the kids and dogs and friends and relatives.

Who is the person you would most DISlike to be trapped in a lift with? Or a spaceship?

I can't think of a specific person, but it would be someone that just couldn't shut up. A non stop blabber that had speak like the rest of us breathe would be a nightmare after fifteen minutes. After a few days, I would have to do something to make it stop...

What would you pack for space? (Is there a food, beverage, book, teddy bear, etc that you couldn't do without?)

My computer. Not because I'm attached to a particular machine, but because it has my family pics, my favorite music and while I prefer real books over e, I would rather have a hundred ebooks than only one hard cover. I would also still be able to write, and if I was trapped for an expended period of time, that would help keep me sane.

What is the most important thing you would like to get/achieve from your work?

Reach a larger audience. Many writers dream of being able to make a living or even getting rich off their writing. I may have had that dream when I was a kid, but these days I would just be satisfied to cross that barrier and reach enough fans to be considered a mid list writer.

What is the special satisfaction of your work?

Knowing that what I'm writing this year is better than what I wrote last year. It's a similar feeling to getting better at any craft, but for some reason with writing it feels harder won and more tangible. You start off not knowing if what your putting down on paper is good or if it's crap. Of course it is crap and it stays crap for a long time, but there are obvious milestones that each writer gets to at a different pace. After several years and hundreds of thousands of words being put down in short and long form, I finally can recognize when it's crap and when it's good and I can make it all better through editing and rewriting. To know when something works and not doubt it is a great feeling.